Great question! Unfortunately, there isn’t one standard answer that everyone uses, which causes a lot of confusion especially for those just getting started with native plants. That’s why we encourage you to always ask this of anyone who you are talking to about native plants. Otherwise you may be working off two different definitions, which often leads to growing plants that wouldn’t naturally occur in that location.

We define a native plant as a plant which is naturally found in a region and has developed complex ecological relationships with the other organisms found there. Now, the big question is how do we define “region.”

In the context of our videos, podcasts, and blogs, we are generally defining “region” as the eastern U.S. / Eastern Temperate Forest ecoregion with the caveat that the species may not be native to everywhere in that large of a region. When you are talking to the masses, that’s kind of the way you have to do it. (That’s why we always try to show maps indicating which parts of the larger region those plants are actually native to.)

When we’re talking to individuals, we typically define region by state or ecoregion (Level III or IV). Ecoregions are best, but let’s face it, most of us don’t know our ecoregions. We’re much more familiar with geopolitical boundaries like states and counties. So, we keep it simple and will often use those in our discussions.

It’s easy to approach creating a native plant garden, a pollinator planting, or similar project around our homes in the same way that we would any other garden or landscaping project.

When that happens, the focus is usually on picking plants that “look pretty” and will grow well in the space we want to put them. Nothing else really comes into consideration, except for the idea that native plants in general are good for pollinators and wildlife.

We also tend to manage and maintain the project in the same way that we would any other garden or landscaping project. Again, with the sole considerations usually being:

• does it “look pretty?”
• does it fit in with the neighborhood or community standards?
• does it do what I want it to do?

In other words, the unspoken emphasis is more on “does this work for me?” than “does what I’m creating work equally well for the critters and for me?”

So, let’s imagine someone creates a pollinator garden or native plant garden by growing lots of native plants which attract adult butterflies and even serve as host plants for some of their caterpillars. But then that person does a traditional fall cleanup that removes all the leaves and dead vegetation.

Unfortunately, they’ve just thrown away any overwintering eggs, caterpillars, or chrysalises that are attached to that vegetation and leaves. Not to mention the eggs, larva, and pupa of other types of insects that might be on or in the discarded vegetation and leaves. And I think we can all agree that getting rid of or killing all the babies isn’t a good thing.

So, despite their best intentions, that person may have just done more harm than good by creating what’s called an ecological trap. (An ecological trap is a location that looks good to an animal but then turns out to be detrimental once the animal has committed to that spot and can’t leave.)

When you create a thriving ecosystem, you’re making sure that the pollinators you attract have everything they need (food, water, and shelter) throughout their life cycles. That includes both the plants you grow and the way you manage those plants. In other words, you transition from just attracting pollinators to really supporting pollinators.

You’re also not putting blinders on and focusing on only one species (or group of species) at the expense of others. A thriving ecosystem is full of an abundance of critters, including predators. And that’s ok, because it’s balanced and the predators have predators…

Also, don’t worry. Thriving ecosystems can be beautiful.

But the emphasis is on “Does this meet the needs of the pollinators (or other animals) I want to support?” “Does it look pretty?” is a secondary consideration for creating ecosystems. (But there’s almost always a way to make your ecosystem look pretty too because there are usually multiple ways to achieve the same goals – see my “it depends” article. That’s why we say that you don’t have to choose between creating a thriving ecosystem and having a beautiful yard or other green space.)

Because you’re unique!

No one else has your exact combination of:

Because your location is unique!

No two properties are ever exactly the same. They may have different:

Because your neighborhood is unique!

No two neighborhoods are the same. They may have different:

• formal community or HOA restrictions
• informal neighborhood styles or standards
• number of other homeowners or businesses doing similar things
• number of people who view mowing as a hobby
• amount of trees and other types of green space built into the neighborhood
• proximity to creeks, streams, ponds, lakes, or other sources of water

Yes, we offer on-site consulting if you would like us to:

• walk your property and identify the plants you have naturally growing there, as well as any animals that we see while we are there,
• create customized educational materials for you about your native plants, pollinators, and wildlife, or your local ecosystem,
• develop a detailed, customized plan for you to follow as you create your own thriving ecosystem.

Our consulting page has all the details about our consulting services and how to start the process.

However, even if you’re just getting started, an on-site consultation may not be the best option for you. If you’re working in a smaller space or have a small budget, the Backyard Ecology™ Community may be a better choice for you.

Through the Backyard Ecology™ Community we provide ongoing, personalized, coaching, and support within a virtual setting. The lack of travel expenses and group nature of the Community also make it a much more economical option. Unless you live within a county or two of us – you’ll likely be able to get a year of support in the community for less than the cost of an on-site consultation.

The two options aren’t mutually exclusive either. An on-site consultation could help jumpstart your project and then the coaching within the Community could provide you with the ongoing guidance and support you need for the long-haul.

The chart below provides some of the pros and cons of each option. If you’re still not sure which is the right choice for you, contact us and we’ll help you figure it out. We want you to get the help you need and we’re not going to try to talk you into something that we don’t think is right for you.

Our content focuses on the eastern U.S., or more specifically the Eastern Temperate Forest, Level I ecoregion as indicated on the map below.

Because different parts of the country (and world) include different ecosystems with different:

• native plants and animals,
• climates,
• soils,
• challenges when it comes to creating, managing, and maintaining habitat.

Plus, what is native in one part of the country / world, may be invasive somewhere else.

We focus on the eastern U.S. because this is where we live. These are the plants, animals, climates, soils, etc. that we know, understand, and have firsthand experience with.

Even within the eastern U.S., there’s a lot of variation but there are more similarities within the eastern U.S. than between say Kentucky and Colorado or California. The fact that most of the eastern U.S. is in the same Level I ecoregion illustrates that fact.

Yeah, we could research the ecosystems that are found in other parts of the country and make content talking about the plants and critters that live there, but it would lose the firsthand, real life, been-there-done that experience. At that point, how would what we share be different from what you can get from Googling a subject or asking AI?

We want to go deeper with you and serve you in the best way we can. That means focusing on the ecosystems and regions that we know. It also means letting someone else serve other parts of the country / world – hopefully someone who is as familiar with their region as we are with ours. We believe this will provide everyone with the most valuable and helpful content possible.

Unfortunately, no, we don’t. If you find someone, please let us know so that we can share that information with others who ask us this question.

We use the term “backyard” very loosely. In the context of Backyard Ecology, we’re referring to the broader concept of your backyard which includes all those familiar areas where you live, work, and play. And, yes, the same principles apply.

So, for our purposes your “backyard” includes:

• your property,
• your kids’ school,
• where you work,
• the local park or campground,
• your place of worship,
• and anywhere else you spend a significant amount of time.

Also, if you’re a homeowner who is working on your own property, then backyards tend to be a little more informal. And we thought that if you’re just starting out then the backyard might be a little less intimidating. So, we start in the backyard and then expand out to take over the world 😉. Ok, maybe not… but am I the only one thinking about Pinky and the Brain now?

Yes! We enjoy providing virtual presentations, in-person presentations, workshop-style trainings, keynotes for conferences, and being podcast or other media guests. Please see our speaker page if you’re interested in having us present at an upcoming event or inviting us to be a podcast or other media guest.